Discover the benefits of walking backward.

If you got excited when your toddler started walking, wait until he goes backward! Walking backwards may seem like a simple and silly movement, but mastering this action by your little one is truly impressive and offers many developmental benefits.

Here are some reasons why practicing backwards with your child is so valuable.

Benefits of walking backwards

Security

The most important reason to learn to walk backwards is safety in the first place. When your toddler falls forward, he can use his hands to break the fall and push himself back.

Practicing walking backwards allows you to increase your ability to use your legs to prevent a backward fall.

You will slowly learn to counteract a backward fall by taking a few steps back to regain your balance. Protecting your head and spine from these falls is the main reason for this achievement of the movement.

Strengthens leg muscles

If you’ve ever tried walking backwards as a fitness exercise, you may have noticed that it engages other leg muscles than walking forwards.

Walking backwards engages the calf muscles, glutes, and quadriceps, which are very helpful muscles for toddlers on the go! Strengthening these leg muscles can help you achieve other movement milestones like climbing, kicking, and even dancing.

Improves balance and coordination

Any type of exercise that improves a child’s balance and coordination is good, and walking backwards does it! Balance and coordination are the foundation of many physical activities, such as learning to ride a bike or playing catch.

Walking backwards is not only great for your little one’s core muscles and postural control, but it’s also a great workout for their cerebellum, as learning to balance while walking backwards facilitates the growth and development of neurons in the brain.

Also Read: Benefits of walking barefoot 

Strengthens spatial awareness

Walking backwards also helps increase your spatial awareness, which is a cognitive skill that tells us our position relative to objects around us.

Exercising your backtracking skills allows you to understand how your body and body parts move around a room without bumping into things.

Develop proprioception

Your child’s proprioceptive sense is his ability to internally determine where his body parts are and how much effort it takes to move them.

This internal sense helps guide your backward movements without the need to look back and prevents you from falling.

Walk Back Achievements

Between 16 and 18 months, you will most likely see your toddler master lateral movements and eventually take a few steps backwards. For a time, he may seem like a clumsy little sailor doing the cha-cha-cha.

But as his muscles develop and his balance strengthens, he will feel more and more confident backing up.

Around 28-30 months, you will notice that his steps become steady and steady, allowing him to move backwards halfway across a room (approximately 10 steps). A great feat for little feet!

Remember that little ones reach these milestones of movement at different times and in different ways.

The ancient healing system and practice of yoga, which literally means ‘to join together’ was developed in India more than 5000 years ago by Vedic priests. Their sacred texts and the teachings of yoga rituals sought to develop awareness between the mind and body through synergy, strength, and harmony. During subsequent millennia, the modern or Western approaches and Health benefits of yoga of the study and practice of yoga has undergone variations but follows traditional methods.

Indeed, science continues to corroborate the health benefits of yoga as demonstrated by research at National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Harvard Medical School, as well as numerous other scholarly, fitness, and health and wellness institutions and facilities such as IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. Today’s practice combines a series of poses, movements, or postures that incorporate proper breathing techniques – the body’s vital energy to find peace and achieve serenity.

Popularity of Yoga

Over the past two decades, the popularity of yoga has experienced incredible growth and for good reason. As the revolution of fitness fads, diets, and gimmicks have increased in order to mitigate the rise of obesity, heart disease, Type II diabetes, and other symptoms of morbidity, the practice of yoga has simultaneously evolved as one of the best ways to increase health and vitality, improve flexibility, athletic and sports performance, maintain or increase cardiovascular fitness, build muscle tone, help with weight loss, boost immunity, improve quality of sleep, and reduce depression. As a mind-body alternative medical advancement with a take charge impact on spirituality, yoga has stood the test of time with more than hundred variations or schools of practice.

Yoga for Depression

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is a major disability on a global scale (NIMH). In addition, the surge of available technology has become one of the dominant avenues that people capitalize upon in order to stay connected with coworkers, friends, and family. The combined sources of social media and networking provide easy access on a daily basis, but the high tech overload leaves a wake of isolation and lack of personal connection. The results may lead to stress, insomnia, anxiety, alienation, and depression. According to IDEA, a professional fitness and wellness association, “Depression is a common mood disorder characterized by feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and worthlessness” (Lipton. 2008).

Recent research and clinical studies through the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the National Institutes of Health, and Harvard Medical School indicate that yoga is a favorable intervention and alternative method to reduce the stress response as well as a viable option to the treatment of depression and insomnia. Typical exercise regimes and programs focus on the physical aspects and attributes of wellness. Although these are critical to longevity, overall health, and vitality, Yoga incorporates the physical component with meditative, proper breathing, relaxation, and self-actualization. Together, the practice of yoga culminates in reducing depression through better mental clarity, less physical pain, increased positive self-esteem, enhanced peace of mind, reduced stress, promotes transformation, and leads to healthier lifestyle choices.

Yoga for Seniors

Yoga is one of the safest workouts for people of all ages with many choices available for every level of fitness, body type, and skill level. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, a yoga workout is low impact and joint friendly. Seniors benefit from yoga because it improves their bone health, which is critical to preventing bone loss, fractures, and osteoporosis. Moreover, Yoga helps with posture, protects the spine, reduces the risk of injury, lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, improves immunity, increases balance, flexibility, range of motion, and strength, enhances blood flow and circulation, prevents damage to soft tissues, is an excellent component to rehabilitation and injury recovery, builds body awareness, improves breathing, and leads to heightened inner strength; all critical factors for healthy aging.

Yoga Class

In order to participate in a yoga class, all that is required is comfortable, breathable clothing as well as a few other props. Most studios provide a mat and also recommend going barefoot. However, some people benefit from props such as cushions, straps, blankets, and yoga blocks. Yoga Blocks raise the level of the floor to accommodate individuals with less flexibility or to allow beginners to reach poses with more ease and comfort. Yoga blocks also assist with balance, alignment, and facilitate holding poses for longer periods of time without the risk of injury, but proper use is essential to a positive Yoga experience. Blocks can be used in seated poses, standing positions, or under the head when lying down on the floor for abdominal or meditative work.

Precautions

There are many health benefits of yoga, and with the variety of classes now available, everyone stands to gain from engaging in the practice. Nevertheless, there are some conditions that warrant precaution and a consultation with a medical practitioner including severe osteoporosis or balance problems, poor conditioning, herniated disks, pregnancy, impaired circulation, and certain eye problems such as glaucoma.

Stay up to date on the latest in health and nutrition by signing up for our free newsletter series.